LA Metro to hold community meetings for Regional Connector

The Los Angeles
County Metropolitan Transportation Authority will be conducting five community
meetings to update the public on the Regional Connector project the week of November
5 through 12. Members of the community are encouraged to attend one of the meetings,
all of which are available by public transit.

The project, currently in
its Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Report (EIS/R), proposes building a
transit line that would link the soon-to-open Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension
in the vicinity of the Little Tokyo/Arts District Station and the 7th
Street/Metro Center Station, terminus for the Metro Blue Line and future Expo
Line. Once completed, transit riders would enjoy increased transit connections
throughout the entire system. The Draft EIS/R includes the review of the
possible effects of the project and alternatives on the project study area.

The content presented at
these meetings will be identical, so those attending a session should seek a
time and location most convenient for them.

In March and April 2009,
Metro held four Scoping Meetings to obtain public input as part of the DEIS/R.
Based on public feedback provided during the scoping process and more detailed
technical study, Metro would now like to share some of the results of its
ongoing analysis.

Last month the MTA Board
voted to pursue long-term funding agreements through the U.S. Department of
Transportation to build the Regional Connector project. The MTA Board is
expected to make a decision on a preferred alignment late next year.